Conventional Palletizing vs Robotic Palletizing
 

Conventional Palletizer vs Robotic Palletizer

What is a Conventional Palletizer?

A Conventional Palletizer is a machine that builds a complete pallet load of packaged products, first by forming rows that then become layers. The layers are then stacked on one another until the load is complete and then conveyed out of the conventional palletizer.

 

Types of Conventional Palletizers

Floor Level Palletizers

A Floor Level Palletizer has a package infeed elevation that is approximately 36” above the floor.

When do I need a Floor Level Palletizer?

Floor Level Palletizers are ideally suited for applications where the packaging process is relatively close to where the palletizing process will be done.

What is a High Level Palletizer?

A High Level Palletizer has a package infeed elevation usually between 110 inches and 145 inches above the floor.

When do I need a High Level Palletizer?

High Level palletizers are ideally suited for applications where the packaging process is relatively far from where the palletizing process will be done.
High Level infeed palletizers are generally faster than floor level palletizers.
The speed of a production line may dictate that a High Level infeed palletizer is required to meet the throughput capacity.

What is a Robotic Palletizer?

A Robotic Palletizer uses an industrial robotic arm to create pallet loads of packaged products for shipping or placing the completed loads into a warehouse for storage.

Conventional Palletizing vs Robotic Palletizing

Conventional palletizers are generally faster, more flexible and have a smaller footprint than robotic palletizers. Robotic palletizers are ideally suited to applications where there are multiple production lines that can be palletized simultaneously by one robot. Robots are great for bagged product (grass seed, flour) applications.

What Are the Advantages of Conventional Palletizing?

A Conventional Palletizer is a machine that builds a complete pallet load of packaged
products, first by forming rows that then become layers. The layers are then stacked on
one another until the load is complete and then conveyed out of the conventional
palletizer.

Conventional palletizers are capable of much higher throughput rates than robotic
palletizers. They are also smaller than a single line robot and require less square
footage as the guarding is mounted to the frame versus floor mounted to guard a much
larger area.

Robotic palletizers are well suited for handling pails and some bagged products, simply
because they must be picked up for layer forming. They also offer an advantage if your
application includes 2 or 3 or 4 low speed lines that can be palletized simultaneously by
one robot.

Conventional palletizers make better and tighter loads than pick and place robots
because of the ability to apply a 4-way squeeze on each layer during the load building
process. They are also more flexible than robotic palletizers because they only convey
and push packages. There is never a need to change an end effector tool required to
pick up different types of packages.

Why You Should Trust Columbia Palletizing with Your Palletizing Needs

As the only OEM for both Conventional and Robotic Palletizing Solutions in North America, Columbia Machine and Columbia/Okura are in the best position in the industry to consult with you and honestly evaluate what the best palletizing solution is for your palletizing application.

Ready To Discuss Your Palletizing Application with Columbia Machine?

Whether you have an immediate need or are looking for expert input for a future palletizing project, please contact us here, call us at 800-628-4065, or start a chat in the lower left corner of our website to put over 60 years of palletizing experience to work for you.